Automobile



May 19, 1936.

1c. BREER 2,041,522

AUTOMOBILE Filed Jan. 18, 1934 2 Sheets-Shea?I 2 om 575.5. ,Y

Patented Mey 19, 193s I f 2,041,522

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE AUTOMOBILE Carl Breer, Detroit, Mich., assigner to Chrysler Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Application January 18, 1934, Serial No. 707,099

`8 Claims. (Cl. 18o-69) This invention relates to an improved vehicle character which is carried by the lower edge engine compartment cover, and associated hinge portions of the front cover section and constructand locking mechanism. ed and arranged so that only a single operating One of the main objects of the invention is handle is visible from the exterior of the veto provide a cover of this character which conhicle; and to provide locking mechanism at one 5 forms in shape with the contour required of extremity of the cover and the pivotal connection streamline Vehicle design. of the cover with the vehicle at the other ex- Another object of the invention is to provide tremity so as to effectively hold all portions o1' a two-part cover of this kind having individually the cover in rm engagement with the structure formable sections, one of which is V-shaped, of the vehicle on which its marginal portions are 10 pivotally secured together and pivotally connectreceived when it is in closed position.

ed with the vehicle by concealed hinge means. An illustrative embodiment of the invention is A further object of the invention is to provide shown in the accompanying drawings, in which: an overlapping joint between the sections of the Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the front end cover having a hinge which is adapted to acportion of a vehicle which is equipped with my 15 commodate pivotal movement of the V-shaped improved engine compartment cover showing the section relative to the other section and to prolatter in closed position. vide an overlapping joint having concealed hinge Fig. 2 is a perspective view similar to Fig. 1, means between the latter sections and the vebut showing the cover in open position.

hicle. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional View taken on the 20 A still further object of the invention is to line III- III of Fig. 1.

provide a cover of this kind which is mounted Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view taken on the at its rearward section for pivotal movement line IV-IV of Fig. 1. about an axis extending transversely of the ve- Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view taken on the hicle and which has a forward section normally line V-V of Fig. 1. 25 disposed at an inclination to the rearward sec- Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view taken on the tion when the cover is closed, and adapted to line VI-VI of Fig. 2. swing into substantially parallel, overlapping re- Fig. 7 is a vertical sectional view taken on the la-tionship to the rearward section when the cover line VII--VII of Fig. 1.

A is in open position so as to avoid obstruction of Fig. 8 is a fragmentary elevational view of the 30 the space directly above the engine compartment. front end portion of the cover and associated An additional object of the invention is to prostructure of the vehicle showing the locking vide pivotally connected top and front cover secmechanism with which the cover is provided tions for a lvehicle engine compartment which partially in section. has permanently xed sides formed by forward In the drawings, there is illustrated a vehicle 35 extensions of the cowl of the vehicle. having a body Il) provided with a front end por- Further objects of the invention are to protion of substantially streamline contour. The Vide an IIIDIOVG. hinge having a Substantially front end portion of the vehicle includes an engine Straight Drltle fOr DVOQJIY Connecting `a compartment II in which is contained a radiator V-Shaped from? engine COmDaI'meIlt COVer SeC- core I 2,engine I3 and auxiliary mechanical equip- 40 151011 and' a real' @over Section 0f del'ent C011- i'nent, such as that conventionally associated with tour; to provide hinge plates having flanges ina vehicle engine. The side wail portions I4 of the clined with respect to their connecting pintle engine compartment and the longitudinal margito conform with the shape of the respective secnal top wall portions I5 thereof are provided by. lSOTlS 0f the COVGI J00 WhiCh they are attached; forwardly protruding extensions of the cowl I6 45 to provide a hinge plate which is adapted to be of the vehicle body. A continuous opening I1 exxed to the intermediate part of one of the tends throughout the major portions of the top sections of the cover so as to form an apron and front extremities ofthe engine compartment. thereon which overlaps the other section; to pro- The opening Il is normally closed by a cover I8 Vide hinge plateS haVIlg main body portions 0f comprising upper and lower cover sections I9 and 50 tapering width between the straight pintle and 20 respectively. The upper cover section l9is pivtlie V-shaped portions of the cover; to provide otally mounted on the forwardly projecting ex= an improved locking mechanism for releasably tensions of the cowl l by brackets 2l and 22 which holding' both sections of the cover in closed poare iixed to the cover and cowl respectively and sitiops; to provide locking mechanism of this which are rotatably connected together by a pin 55 23. The brackets 2| of the cover section I9 are located forwardly of the rear extremity of this cover section so as to enable the extension of a sheet metal channel 24 mounted on the cover section I9 slightly beneath a transversely extending cowl part 25 which is permanently fixed on the body of the vehicle. Disposed in the channel 24 is a strip of rubber 26, or other yieldable material, which is adapted to form a substantially watertight seal between the adjacent edges of the transverse cowl part 25 and the rear extremity of the cover section I9 when the cover is closed. 'I'he brackets 2| and 22 and their connecting pins 23 are preferably so constructed and arranged as to provide for pivotal movement of the cover I8 about an axis extending transversely of the vehicle. The forward end portion of the cover section I9 is disposed downwardly on an arcuate curvature and provided with embossed ribs 21 which serve to define the upper extremities of the radiator shell. This downwardly bowed forward extremity of the cover section I9 is provided with longitudinally extending slits or louvres 28 for admitting air to the interior of the engine compartment.

The forward end portions of the upper cover section I9 therefore constitute part oi the radiator shell and the lower cover section 20 constitutes the remaining portion of what, in conventional vehicles, is called the radiator shell. The lower cover section 20 is provided with longitudinally extending slits or louvres 29 which register with the louvres 28 and which also serve to admit air to the interior of the engine compartment and to supply a cooling current of air through the radiator core I2. Both the forward end portion of the upper radiator section I 9 and substantially the entire lower radiator cover section 2|) are V- shaped in transverse cross section and these portions of the cover are pivotally connected together by a hinge 30 which has a substantially straight pintle 3| and a pair of hinge plates 32 and 33. 'I'he hinge plate 32 is provided with a substantially at body portion 34 which tapers in width from its longitudinal central portions toward its opposite extremities to conform with the V-shaped cross section of the front end portion of the radiator cover section I9. Formed on the body portion 34 of the hinge plate 32 is an attaching iiange 35. 'Ihe parts of this iiange on the respectively opposite sides of its longitudinal center are inclined in opposite directions with respect to the pintle 3| so as to lie substantially parallel to the converging planes o f the V-shaped front end portions of the upper cover section I9 to which the flange is rigidly fixed by welding or in any other suitable manner at a location rearwardly of the forward extremity of the top cover section. 'I'he hinge plate 33 includes a body portion 36 which also tapers in width from its longitudinal central portion toward its respecplane as the body portion 36 oi' the hinge plate 33 at locations spaced in opposite directions from the longitudinal central portion of the l1inge.`l

The flange 31 is rigidly xed by rivets 38 or other suitable means to the upper edge portions of the lower cover section 20, as illustrated in Figs. 3 to 6, inclusive. By attaching one hinge plate to an intermediate portion of the cover section. I9 and the other hinge plate to an end portion of section 20, an overlapping apron 39 is provided which effectively conceals the hinge and the junction between the two cover sections. When the engine compartment cover is rotated to an open Vposition the front cover section 20 swings downwardly to substantially parallel relationship to the rear cover section I9, thereby preventing any obstruction of the space directly above the engine compartment.

Locking mechanism including a pair of transversely shiftable latch bolts 40, is provided on the lower edge portions of the front cover section 20. Each latch bolt 40 is slidably supported by a bracket 4| and urged outwardly from the center of the vehicle by a coil spring 42 which bears between the bracket 4I and a flange 43 formed adjacent the outer end of the latch bolt. The outer end portion of each latch bolt is receivable in an aperture 44 formed in the struc- 20 ture of the vehicle body adjacent the lower edge portions of the front'cover section. The operating handle 45 has a shaft portion extending through and rotatably supported by the lower v edge portions of the front cover section 2ll. Mounted on the shaftof the operating handle are diametrically opposite ears 46, each of which is pivotally connected to one of the latch bolts 49. The coil springs 42 normally hold the operating lever in transversely extended relation to the vehicle but when the handle is turned in either direction the latch bolts are drawn inwardly against the action of the springs 49 until the ends thereof are disengaged from their respective apertures so as to permit free opening movement of the cover.

Although but one specific embodiment of the invention is herein shown and described, it will be understood that various changes in the size,

shape and arrangement of parts may be made 40 without department from the spirit of my invention, and it is not my intention to limit its scope other than by the terms of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. An automotive vehicle body comprising a 45 cowl having two forwardly extending side portions, a. cover member adapted to close the space between said side portions comprising a main body portion hinged to said cowl, and a second body portion hinged to said main body portion. 50

adapted to swing into substantially parallel rela- 60 tionship with said upper cover section when said cover is in an open position.

3. In an automobile having an engine compartment provided with substantially fixed side Walls,

a. movable cover including an upper section pro- 65 viding the major portion of the top wall of said compartment, said upper cover section having a downwardly extending front portion of V-shaped transverse cross section providing a portion of the front wall of said compartment, a front cover section extending beneath the downwardly extending part of said-upper cover section and conforming in shape thereto, and a hinge connect- -ingthe overlapping parts of said cover sections.

4. In an automobile-having an engine compartment provided with substantially xed side walls, a movable cover including an upper section providing the major portion of the top wall of said compartment, said upper cover section having a downwardly extending front portion of V-shaped transverse cross section providing a portion of the front wall of said compartment, a front cover section extending beneath the downwardly extending part of said upper cover section and conforming in shape thereto,` and a hinge having a substantially straight pintle and including hinge plates having body portions tapering in width from their intermediate part toward each extremity thereof, one of said plates being fixed to an edge portion of said front cover section and the other hinge plate being xed to an intermediate part of said upper cover section.

5. In an automobile having an engine com-V partment provided with adjoining top and front open extremities, a cover for said open extremities including an upper cover section pivotally mounted on an axis extending transversely of said automobile at a location forwardly of its rear extremity and protruding rearwardly of the open top extremity of said compartment, a iront cover section underlying the forward edge portions of said upper cover section, a hinge pivotally connecting said cover sections together, and locking mechanism on the lower extremity of said front cover section extending transversely of said automobile and adapted to releasably hold both cover sections in closed positions.

6. In an automobile ,having an' engine compartment vprovided with adjoining top and front open extremities, a cover for said open extremities including an upper cover section pivotally mounted on an axis extending transversely of said automobile at alocation forwardly of its rear extremity and protruding rearwardly of the open top extremity of said compartment, a front cover section underlying the forward edge portions of said upper cover section, a hinge pivotally con# necting said cover sections together, and locking mechanism including a pair of latch bolts shiftably mounted on the inner side of said front cover section and an operating handle protruding from the external side thereof.

'7. In an automobile having an engine compartment provided with adjoining top and front open extremities, a cover for said open extremities pivotally mounted on said automobile adjacent its rear extremity, said cover comprising pivotally connected sections, laterally shiftable latch bolts mounted on the internal side of said cover adjacent its front extremity, the outer ends of said latch bolts being receivable in apertures provided in adjacent structure of said automobile, means normally yieldable urging said latch bolts outwardly, and an operating member extending outwardly from said cover and connected with said latch bolts for drawing the latter inwardly. l

8. In a vehicle, a combined movable engine compartment cover and radiator shield, lincluding a rear cover section having means thereon for pivotally mounting it on a vehicle, the front edge portions of said rear cover section being disposed downwardly and provided r`with longitudinally extending louvres for admitting air to the interior of said compartment, and a front cover section pivotally mounted on the downwardly disposed portions of said rear cover section and having longitudinally extending louvres registering with the louvres thereof.

' CARL BREER. 

